Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has just published a piece rounding up a few of the latest trade rumblings from around the NBA, so let's dive in and tackle the highlights....

• Josh Smith is viewed by Amico's sources as a near-lock to be moved, though there's no consensus on where he'll be headed. The Nets, Suns, and Mavericks are mentioned as potential destinations, with the Spurs in the mix as well.
• One source isn't so sure the Hawks will move Smith by next Thursday: "They won’t just give the guy away. (Smith) is practically an All-Star. You can deal with the contract situation later."
• The Nets haven't completely given up on the idea of making a play for Dwight Howard, but they'd likely need to get a third team involved. I'd consider that one a real long shot.
• While the Nuggets are fairly content with their roster at the moment, they could explore a smaller move involving someone like Wilson Chandler, Corey Brewer, or Anthony Randolph. Denver has some interest in J.J. Redick, but Amico says conversations have "all but disappeared after he indicated he wants to stay with the Magic."
• The Bulls and 76ers have started to get more active in trade talks within the last week.
• The Raptors have engaged the Sixers in trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani, though it's not clear what would be going Toronto's way in a hypothetical deal -- Spencer Hawes is one possibility.
• After losing twice to the Heat this season, the Thunder are "strongly considering" making a move to bolster their lineup, according to Amico.

Although Chad Ford's weekly chat at ESPN.com featured plenty of draft questions once again this week, Ford also addressed a number of trade questions and rumors. Many of Ford's answers focused more on his own opinions or speculation, but here are a few of the highlights from ESPN's NBA draft guru:

• Ford is hearing that the Bucks are "very active" and that Samuel Dalembert isn't the only player they're actively discussing. Monta Ellis, Beno Udrih, and Ersan Ilyasova could all be had as well, according to Ford.
• The Hawks would like to move Josh Smith, but the market for him isn't currently very strong and the team is still holding on to hope that Smith could help lure Dwight Howard to Atlanta this summer, says Ford.
• Zach Randolph "looks like a marked man," according to Ford, though it's not clear whether he thinks the Grizzlies will trade Randolph in the next two weeks or further down the road.
• Ford keeps hearing the Nuggets mentioned in trade scenarios, with Danilo Gallinari's and Wilson Chandler's names coming up most frequently.

The Pacers and Trail Blazers head into today having each won 11 of their last 14 contests, but both teams will be in for tough matchups at home tonight, as the Knicks arrive in Indiana and the Heat play in Portland. As we look forward to what should be a fun TNT doubleheader, let's check in on a few afternoon links from around the NBA:

• While the Knicks have inquired on Kenyon Martin, they won't make a decision on the free agent big man one way or another until they determine Rasheed Wallace's timetable, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
• One NBA team executive predicts to Ian Thomsen of SI.com that if DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, there won't be as much interest as there might have been in the past. "We do all of this research and background work on players now before we draft them," said the exec. "I think half of the consideration when we look at players now is trying to understand who these guys are as people. I really do think that most teams are going to say they don't want any part of him."
• Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News thinks that the Lakers should trade Dwight Howard for Dirk Nowitzki. However, even if the Lakers were interested in such a move, which seems extremely unlikely, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wouldn't be, as he tells David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida: "No knock on Dwight, I just won't trade Dirk" (Twitter link).
• Although he signed a three-year deal overseas this past offseason, Rudy Fernandez isn't ruling out an eventual return to the NBA, writes CNN.com's Paul Gittings.
• The Cavaliers should attempt to make a play for Rudy Gay, suggests Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
• Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post wonders if Wilson Chandler's return to the Nuggets lineup could lead to a trade, either of Chandler or another player.

With this season's deadline still three months away, the trade market likely won't be too active for at least a few more weeks. However, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes, things could start to pick up on December 15th, when most players who signed over the summer are eligible to be dealt. Kyler looks at a few specific trade candidates in his latest piece, so let's round up the highlights....

• Josh Smith, Paul Millsap, and Al Jefferson are a few players in the final year of their contracts whose respective teams aren't planning to deal. However, the Hawks and Jazz could reconsider their stances as the deadline approaches, if there's an increasing concern that those players will leave in free agency.
• While there's no urgency in Toronto to move Jose Calderon, the Raptors are expected to explore deals. Kyler suggests that small forwards like Omri Casspi and Wilson Chandler are worth keeping an eye on as potential Raptors targets, adding that Chandler isn't in the Nuggets' long-term plan.
• The Rockets likely aren't done dealing, with players like Daequan Cook, Toney Douglas, and Marcus Morris among the team's possible trade candidates.
• DeJuan Blair continues to be available, but the Spurs are still seeking a first-round pick, and it's unclear if any team would pay that price for a player that could sign elsewhere at season's end.
• Anderson Varejao isn't likely to be moved, but if the Cavaliers were to consider a deal, it would have to include Luke Walton and his $6.09MM salary.
• Similarly, if the Kings explored a Tyreke Evans trade, Sacramento would want to include either John Salmons or Francisco Garcia.
• The Timberwolves would be open to moving Derrick Williams if they could land a good veteran player for him.
• Kyler also names Hedo Turkoglu, Tayshaun Prince, Tyrus Thomas, and Wesley Johnson as trade candidates, though all those players could be tough to move due to their salaries.

Let's round up a few Wednesday odds and ends from around the Association....

• Although Wilson Chandler, who signed a five-year deal with the Nuggets earlier in 2012, tells Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that he wouldn't have done anything differently when it comes to playing last year in China, he's looking forward to a bounceback season with the Nuggets.
• Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com debate whether Chris Paul's impending free agency will become a distraction for the Clippers this season. For his part, Paul has said he doesn't expect to pay much attention to his contract situation until season's end.
• The Spurs are still seeking a permanent solution for backup point guard behind Tony Parker, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Gary Neal currently has the leg up for the job, but Patrick Mills and Cory Joseph remain in the mix.
• Antawn Jamison spoke to Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register about his decision to sign with the Lakers after he received the OK from his family in North Carolina.
• In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford takes an early look at some of the top ACC prospects expected to be part of the 2013 draft class.
• The Santa Cruz Warriors are interested in selecting Japeth Aguilar of the Philippines in the D-League draft, according to Sid Ventura of Yahoo! Sports. Golden State's D-League affiliate officially received approval today to relocate to Santa Cruz for the 2012/13 season.

Earlier today, we heard from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that the Nuggets and Warriors had discussed the possibility of a trade that would send the No. 7 pick to Denver and Wilson Chandler to Golden State. Broussard is back with more Warriors info this afternoon, tweeting that the team is eyeing other small forwards besides Chandler, including Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Marvin Williams. No deals are imminent, according to Broussard, but the Warriors are a good bet to be active either today or tomorrow. Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group has a few more Warriors items, so let's check those out:

• The Warriors do like Chandler, but may not believe he's worth the seventh overall pick, says Thompson. Golden State would want Denver to take on a bad contract like Richard Jefferson's or Andris Biedrins' in order for the deal to work.
• If Andre Drummond is available when the Warriors pick at No. 7, expect Golden State to call up the Rockets to try to work out a deal. The Warriors don't have nearly the same interest in Drummond as Houston does, though some members of Golden State's front office would be willing to roll the dice on the UConn big man.
• The Warriors have also spoken to Milwaukee about trading down to No. 12. A recent report suggested a swap of Luc Mbah a Moute and the 12th pick for the 7th pick, but Thompson thinks the Warriors are more likely to try to reacquire Ekpe Udoh. [Update: Thompson corrects himself in a tweet, noting that the Warriors are ineligible to reacquire Udoh this season.]
• Thompson tweets that rival teams keep inquiring about the availability of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, but that GM Bob Myers isn't interested in trading either player. Thompson is the most unmovable Warriors at the moment, according to the Bay Area News Group scribe.
• Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News adds, via Twitter, that the Warriors appear to be "really trying" to move Dorell Wright.

The Nuggets' core of young players is drawing plenty of trade interest this week, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Broussard, one of several potential deals being discussed involves sending Wilson Chandler to the Warriors in exchange for the seventh overall pick.

As Zach Lowe of SI.com tweets, Denver has so many productive players on relatively affordable contracts that the Nuggets can't help but be active in trade talks. Moving one of their larger contracts for a top prospect on a rookie contract would give the Nuggets more flexibility to re-sign McGee and extend Lawson. However, as John Hollinger of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), some salary would need to come back to Denver in the rumored deal with the Warriors -- Dorell Wright would be the most likely candidate.

The Northwest Division's lone remaining team in the postseason, the Thunder showed last night that they weren't about to go down without a fight. In snapping San Antonio's win streak at 20 games, Oklahoma City made the Western Conference Finals a series again, and proved that the Spurs aren't quite as invincible as they seemed. While we wait for Game 4 tomorrow, here are a few notes out of the Northwest, including a Nuggets injury update and details on the Timberwolves' draft plans....

• Wilson Chandler, who signed a long-term extension with the Nuggets in March, continues to recover from hip surgery and is now walking without crutches. A Nuggets.com report has the details on Chandler's rehab.
• Timberwolves GM David Kahn expects other teams to call about potential deals involving Minnesota's 18th overall pick until and during this month's draft, as he tells Joan Niesen of FOX Sports North. Kahn said the Wolves will remain "open to everything" and added that he believes there will be some turnover on the roster this summer.
• Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge examines the trade value of the Trail Blazers' two lottery picks.
• The Blazers have the opportunity to decide the course of the Clippers' future by hiring current Clips GM Neil Olshey, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday night:

• The Nuggets' official website notes that Wilson Chandler is recovering successfully from his recent hip surgery. Chandler signed a five-year deal with the Nuggets in March after returning from his stint in China.
• MySanAntonio.com's Buck Harvey wonders how Stephen Jackson's career would have differed had he remained with the Spurs the entire time.
• The Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson speculates that the Warriors may look at Jason Kidd as an option at backup point guard this offseason.
• Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico compares the Cavaliers' current roster and financial flexibility to that of the rest of the Eastern Conference lottery teams.

• Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that the Pacers' Paul George has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the same organization that represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to name a few (Sulia link). 
• Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is expected to miss the rest of the season, says Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Chandler had tried to play through pain on Sunday, but decided after the game that it would be best to shut himself down for the rest of the season. 
• Don't expect to see the Pistons participating in the annual Las Vegas Summer League this year, as coach Lawrence Frank has opted to send his team to Orlando Magic Summer League instead (David Mayo of MLive reports). Frank cites the organizational structure and condensed schedule as the deciding factors.  
• Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Jazz guard Blake Ahearn hopes to earn a second contract with the team and finish the rest of the season, as his initial contract is set to expire today. GM Kevin O'Connor says that he won't make a decision until after tonight's game against Portland.
• Lang Greene of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly chat with fans tonight. A few thought provoking points included his assessment of Harrison Barnes as a player who won't be a franchise changer for a lottery team, the possibility that Austin Rivers slips in the draft, and Kendall Marshall as a player who belongs in the 16-20 pick range, among other topics.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10 sharpshooting forward for Real Madrid whose draft rights are currently owned by the Bulls. Johnson also writes that Mirotic could have a legitimate shot to make the Spanish team for this year's Olympics.
• Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports that the Louisiana State of Exposition District board of commissioners has approved a long-term lease extension for the Hornets through 2024.  
• Billy Witz of Fox Sports takes a closer look at Jerry Colangelo's criteria for assembling Team USA amidst a season of injuries and uncertainty for a number of players who are in his selection pool. Colangelo doesn't appear fazed, implying that the pool is deep enough to counter the potential unavailability of some of his choices for summer.